PIA Press Release2008/02/13

Iloilo (13 February) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) has called on all scholarship-giving organizations, both public and private to recognize the results of the National Career Assessment Examinations (NCAE) for them to identify those whom they could support as scholars.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that scholarship-giving bodies can help the country's young achiever fulfill their dreams.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the TESDA had earlier agreed to give priority scholarship slots to superior but indigent high school graduates based on the NCAE results.

Lapus said he had endorsed to CHED and the TESDA the names of graduating students from low-income families who got ratings of 98 percent and above in the NCAE.

He added that DepEd had recommended some 20,307 examinees who scored 98 percent in general scholastic aptitude test to CHED for priority scholarship in baccalaureate degree courses.

On the other hand, DepEd identified and endorsed to TESDA 22,879 fourth year graduating students as possible scholarship candidates in technical-vocational courses.

The latest NCAE results showed that there were students who got 98 percent and above in two or more domains, as many who registered high in the general scholastic aptitude test also got high scores in the technical-vocational aptitude and entrepreneurial skills components of the exam.

Lapus said that the NCAE was conceptualized as an instrument in screening possible candidates for scholarships in higher education.

DepEd records showed that in every 100 pupils that enter Grade 1, only 66 will finish elementary. Of the 66, only 58 will enroll in high school and only 43 will graduate and out of this, only 14 could finish their college course.

About 1.2 million fourth year high school students or 97 percent of all those enrolled in both private and public schools took the NCAE for School year 2007-2008. (PIA 6) [top]